Life as a travelling PA can sound enviably glamorous. The top jobs feature private jets, exotic locations and stays in the best hotels in the world. But candidates looking for a ritzy lifestyle need not apply, according to those in the know.
“You get to go to glorious places, but you must remember that you are the PA,” says Jane Yee-Loy, a senior PA. “Working at this level means being available around the clock. It’s very intense.”
Another senior PA, Claire*, who travelled to locations such as Singapore, India and Monaco with a former boss, the head of a finance company, agrees with Jane. “You never really get a moment to yourself,” she says. “It’s very much a lifestyle choice.”
Travelling PAs can earn up to £70,000 a year, according to Tessa Meadows-Smith of RMS Recruitment, who regularly recruits top-level PAs. Job specifications vary greatly, depending on the requirements of each individual employer.
One thing is for sure – the first trip will be a steep learning curve. “It will be a baptism of fire,” warns Claire. “Don’t be afraid to ask your boss questions, and make sure you know how far meeting locations are from airports, hotels, etc.”
PAs should also make sure they are familiar with the customs and laws of the countries they visit.
Bosses who allow their PA to travel in comfort are not simply being nice – they are making sure their PA is in a fit state to work hard. “The minute you touch down, you must be ready to get the driver organised and see to whatever else is on the itinerary,” says Jane.
The best travelling PAs are organisational dynamos who prepare detailed itineraries well in advance, including an exhaustive version for themselves with all the contact details and information one could possibly need, including back-up plans. A tip from Claire is to keep hard copies of all information so that one can cope when offline.
After a couple of trips with her former boss, Claire knew his likes and dislikes, including restaurant preferences – invariably places which got booked up weeks in advance. “So before each trip to, say, Hong Kong, I’d make two or three reservations per day so that when he told me to get a table it would already have been done.”
Claire also recommends packing a ‘travelling office’ to facilitate working from a hotel room or on the go. “I packed everything you take for granted in the office, plus travel adaptors. Your boss expects the same output on the road and doesn’t want excuses,” she says.
Another PA, Alex Furey, advises hard-pressed travelling PAs to make use of whatever support may be available from colleagues back at the office.
And there are other potential allies. “Make friends with the concierge,” says Claire. “They are an invaluable source of information and can make things happen quickly.”
Travelling PAs should always remember that they are in a support role. “When required at evening events, you should be in the background, not mingling,” says Jane. “You are there to, for example, remind the boss where he has previously met an important guest, or perhaps to prompt: ‘that’s the wife’ or ‘that’s the mistress’. Even if you’re on a yacht in the South of France, you’re not there to have fun.”
Happily, the perks are plentiful too. “I’ve been involved in fascinating projects and met unique individuals such as Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan,” says Claire.
*Name has been changed
